


The Curious Case of John's Jigsaw Puzzle

by petrichor_rain



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen, Jigsaw Puzzles, and good at puzzles, jasmine tea, john is not so good at puzzles, sherlock is really smart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-22
Updated: 2014-02-22
Packaged: 2018-01-13 08:39:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1219780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petrichor_rain/pseuds/petrichor_rain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John receives a jigsaw puzzle for Christmas from Harry. </p><p>(A short fic I wrote about what happens when Sherlock encounters a jigsaw puzzle....)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Curious Case of John's Jigsaw Puzzle

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has been lurking in the back of my brain for a while now. Please excuse any and all errors! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, they belong to the BBC.

Three clownfish stared sightlessly out of the cardboard box cover, mocking John. It was a beautiful picture, a busy tableau of fish and plants in sunlit ocean water. There were 5,000 pieces, titled “Underwater Paradise”, and John hated every single one. But it was a christmas present from Harry, so John felt familially obligated to at least try to complete the thing. Glaring at the picture, he linked his hands behind his head and stretched, leaning slightly to the left as his back cracked.

He had been working on the puzzle for the past two hours, and a cup of tea was sorely needed to soothe the frustrated army doctor. As he made his way towards the kitchen, he glanced idly towards Sherlock’s room, where the consulting detective had disappeared sometime yesterday morning and had not been heard from since. John contemplated making him a cup too, before shaking his head. Sherlock would emerge when he was ready, and a cup of hot flavored liquid was certainly not going to be sufficient to draw the man out. 

John set his favorite blue mug on the counter and filled the kettle with water, eyes aching from staring at tiny pieces of blue and green. He groaned when he opened the cupboard to find a bag of what appeared to be earlobes sitting next to the jasmine chun hao green tea. Pinching the bridge of his nose between his forefingers, John decided to ignore the bag and leave it for Sherlock to dispose of. Although, John had a sneaking suspicion that if he left it up to Sherlock to get rid of it, he might just be finding the earlobes in his bedroom, given a couple weeks. 

Turning back to his tea, he hoped the relaxing jasmine would help stave off the headache he felt was lurking in his near future. Tea in hand, John eyed the doorway back into the sitting room, ready to take on the puzzle once again, this time armed with a warm jasmine beverage. But when he arrived back at the cherrywood table where before had sat part of a frame and a couple pieces fit together here and there, a complete scene of manta rays, fish, and gently waving kelp now took its place. 

Turning in shock, John saw the world’s only consulting detective crouched on the sofa like a bird of prey, eyes sharp and pale fingers holding a violin, motionless. “Sherlock, did you- I mean- the puzzle-” The detective fixed his penetrating green gaze on his blogger and sighed. “Obviously I completed the puzzle, John. It’s not as if Ms. Hudson came up and put it together in the 8 minutes and 47 seconds you’ve been fixing a cuppa.” John shook his head in amazement. 

“That was bloody amazing, Sherlock. My mum spent 5 months on this puzzle. And don’t you dare say that’s because she’s an idiot.” John warned as the detective opened his mouth. Scowling, Sherlock stared out the window at the rain pouring down outside. “Bored, John. I’m bored!” Sherlock lept off the couch and slammed the door, retreating into his room once again. Tortured screeches of violin strings filled the flat as Sherlock's boredom made itself loudly known. John sighed as he stared at the finished jigsaw. Marveling at Sherlock’s seemingly limitless abilities, he began to disassemble the puzzle and pack it away, a bit nostalgic. He had planned on the puzzle occupying his spare time between cases for the next few months. Oh well. When one was flatmates with Sherlock Holmes, life never ceased to be filled with the unexpected, even when it came to small things. Like jigsaw puzzles.

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the link for the puzzle if anyone is interested: 
> 
> http://www.puzzlewarehouse.com/Underwater-Paradise-17807rav.html?caid=239&gclid=CLaVmOvY3rwCFRTNOgodjjIAaw


End file.
